Court Plans 'Safety' Blitz
By MONICA HOGAN -- Multichannel News, 5/14/2001
Court TV this week will launch its most aggressive promotional campaign for a single TV show — its upcoming documentary Safety Challenge 2001, due on June 5.
Starting this week, the network will run television, radio, print and outdoor teaser ads. In New York City, subway, bus stop and telephone kiosks will encourage consumers to "Talk to the mugger" and "Get the burglar's attention."
Ads in the $4.5 million effort are geared toward Court TV's primary 25-to-54 audience, said executive vice president of marketing Dan Levinson. "But there will definitely be a skew towards women and women with families" because of the subject matter, he said.
The advice in the ads sometimes runs contrary to a potential crime victim's initial instincts, and that's the point of both the campaign and the documentary-style TV show, in which former criminals, police detectives and victims' rights advocates will test viewers' safety IQ.
One piece of advice for homeowners who realize a burglar has entered the home is to pretend they're asleep, Levinson noted.
"The worst thing you can do is to surprise a burglar," because many tend to act irrationally when they find a home is occupied, he said.
"This is a great show, because it's very representative of what Court TV is all about," Levinson said. "It's all about crime and justice. This is really a smart, high-class show."
ABC News and former Court TV anchor Jack Ford will host Court TV's Safety Challenge 2001. The broadcaster produced the show for Court TV.
The June edition of Ladies Home Journal, set to hit newsstands Tuesday (May 15), will feature a complementary feature story on crime safety. The magazine's Web site will include links to crime-prevention tips, as will Court TV's Web site. The Safety Challenge will be available online at courttv.com as the show is aired.
Court TV hopes the high-profile program will drive first-time viewers to the network. Because its subscriber base has grown so quickly in the past year, some new households have yet to discover the channel, Levinson said.
Once Court TV captures the new audience with the Safety Challenge, it will use its ad avails to promote its most demographically appropriate primetime dramas and other fare, Levinson said.
